Edinburgh Stop the War Coalition

The Edinburgh Stop the War Coalition unites a wide variety of individuals, members and affiliated groups including campaigns, political parties, NGOs and churches. We came together in the aftermath of the terrible events of 11 September. We condemn these crimes, but believe that the military onslaught against Afghanistan has only added more innocent lives to those lost in America. We oppose the bombing campaign against Afghanistan and any future invasion of that nation or the others being targeted by the US. We stand shoulder to shoulder with all ethnic and religious communities in Britain, and demand an end to racist attacks and prejudice. We reject the erosion of our civil liberties in the name of anti-terrorism: we cannot defend freedom by destroying it.

The aim of the coalition is to stop the war currently declared by the United States and its allies against ‘terrorism’.

We call on all peace activists and organisations, trade unionists, campaigners and labour movement organisations to join with us in building a mass movement that can stop the drive to war.

The Edinburgh Stop the War Coalition has sent the following statement to the second Cairo conference against imperialism.

English version

From Edinburgh Stop The War Coalition.

We live in troubled times. We live in times of anxiety and fear. We live in times of worry and doubt. We live in dangerous times.

We live in time when a handful of rich and powerful men and women are prepared to drag the world into an endless war to secure their own wealth. They drag behind them millions of ordinary people, too blinded by their own fear to see the tricks that are being played on them.

Our world is riven into two camps, not those of Christian and Muslim, not those of East and West but that of the rich and the poor. In each country, from Britain to Egypt, from the USA to Israel these two camps face each other separated by a wall of lies that tries to throw doubt and confusion into the hearts of ordinary people.

The Edinburgh Stop The War Coalition stands proud in its effort to unite people of peace and trust. Jew, Christian and Muslim; Socialist, Radical and Liberal; Man, Woman and Child; Black and White come together to tear down the wall that our leaders, Blair and Bush seek to hide behind. And tear it down, we will.

We want to expose the lies of imperialism that justifies the oppression of our sisters and brothers in Iraq and Palestine. We aim to expose the US project for the ‘new American century’ as a plan for imperialist domination, in particular through the ‘star wars’ project. We want to remove brick by brick the fear that ties so many of our people to the imperialist warlords.

And day by day, the wall becomes smaller and more and more come to our side. This year has seen tens of thousands march against war and imperialism in the streets of Edinburgh. Many of these have gone on to London, Paris and Florence to carry the struggle hand in hand with people from many countries. And today we are proud to come to Cairo, with one hand held out in friendship and the other, a clenched fist ready to resist those who would destroy us.

We live in times of renewed hope and promised change. We are many and they are few!